Frederick Kenneth Crooke (1908-1991)
'Messenger' (Lewis Casson), costume design for 'Medea', Old Vic Company, New Theatre, 1941
signed and titled in pencil, gouache
57.5 x 39cm
Provenance: The Clive and Jane Wainwright Collection;
with Sally Hunter Fine Art, purchased by Jane Wainwright, March 1992.
Frederick Kenneth Crooke (1908-1991) was a theatre designer and design tutor. Born in Guildford, after artistic training in Paris and at the Royal Academy Schools in London - where he mixed with artists such as Mervyn Peake and Leslie Hurry - Crooke eventually began designing for the theatre. During the Second World War, he worked on a number of projects for the Old Vic, including 'Othello', 'Macbeth' and 'The Cherry Orchard' - the theatre having been bombed, it was necessary to stage the productions elsewhere, and Crooke would also drive the lorry containing the sets on tour. Many of the productions were directed by Tyrone Guthrie and, as well as working together, they became close friends.
Having worked on numerous successful projects, in the late 1950s, Crooke's focus shifted to teaching, and he went on to work at Croydon School of Art & Craft until 1973. In later years, he concentrated less on design, turning to painting instead.
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The Clive & Jane Wainwright Collection
The Design department at Sworders are delighted to offer pieces from the extraordinary collection of Clive Wainwright (1942-1999), following the successful exhibition with H Blairman & Sons in London, emphasising the Gothic Revival period in general, and AWN Pugin in particular.
Sold for £280
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Auction: Design, 31st Oct, 2023
Viewing
London Viewing | Highlights
A selection of lots will be on view Friday 6 October - Wednesday 18 October at our London Gallery, 15 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ, as follows:
Monday-Friday, 11.30am - 5.30pm
Saturday, 1pm - 5pm
Sunday - Closed
For more information, please contact 0203 971 2500 | london@sworder.co.uk
Stansted Viewing | Auction
Viewing will be held at our Stansted Auction Rooms, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8GE, as follows:
Friday 27 October, 10am - 5pm
Saturday 28 October, 10am - 1pm
Sunday 29 October, 10am - 1pm
Monday 30 October, 10am - 5pm
All lots are, however, extensively illustrated and carry detailed condition reports - see 'Condition report' at the foot of each lot description.
The auction will take place at our Stansted Auction Rooms, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8GE.
Please note that this item is not suitable for a pre-sale automated shipping estimate due to the items weight/size.
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